


Bonding Moment

by MidnightCreator



Series: Paladin Pack [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bonding Moments, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Mostly the comfot, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team Bonding, also there is Patria world building, fun times with the pack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:31:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9485081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightCreator/pseuds/MidnightCreator
Summary: The Patrian siblings are settling into the Castle of Lions and it really is only a matter of time before everyone starts to feel the Pack-Bond.





	

“Ah! Nekko, might I speak with you?”

Coran smiled as the hybrid looked up from his spot on the floor, where he looked to be polishing the blades from the castle armory, “Is something wrong Coran?”

“No, no, nothing at all my good Patrian hybrid,” the Altean sat down next to Nekko, with his portable tablet in on hand. “But now that all the excitement has worn down, I would quite like to hear more of your world. From what you have told me, it sounds quite fascinating.”

Nekko’s ears flicked forwards and a small smile tugged at his mouth, “Have anything in mind you want to know?”

“As a matter of fact yes! You’re race appears to be quite diverse, how many variations of you are there?”

“Quite a few actually,” Nekko set his blades aside and turned to face more towards Coran, holding his hand palm up. A tiny image of a figure, with pointed ears and a fluffy tail, materialized in his palm. “See, our race as a whole is called Patrians. But there are so many difference kinds of Patrians that we have three classes of them.” The wispy figure was joined by two more, one with smaller ear and a long, thin tail and the other seemed to lack the ears but had only and long tail that looked like a fist tail. Nekko moved his other palm and pulled the first figure with the thinner tail into it. “There are Felidae’s, cat like creatures who tend to be very agile and skilled when it comes to stealth…most of the time anyway.” He grinned and swapped out the Felidae for the figure with the thicker tail, “Then there are Canidae’s, they are dog like and tend to be a bit stronger then Felidae. Like Kellan, he’s a wolf so he is in the class Canidae.” He held up the third figure. “And then there are the Balaenidae, creatures of the seas. They were actually thought to be wiped from existence during the War of Balor but it turns out the just built a new colony deeper in the sea in order to escape. They live mostly in the water but they do have a natural shape-shifting ability to create legs in place of their tails. It’s temporary and they do need to get back into the water but it’s still quite amazing that such an advances magical technique comes so naturally to them.”

Coran nodded along as Nekko talked, recording the information into his tablet to be stored within the Castles archives, “What was that war you mentioned? The War of Balor?”

Nekko’s face sobered and his ears flattened slightly, “Yes. Just because our world is a relatively peaceful on does not me we have not seen war. See, Balor was the Spirit King of the Dark Realm. His job was to bring the spirits of wicked creature into the Dark Realm and insure they remained there. I don’t know much of what happened but from what I do know; Balor became unsatisfied with his role and demanded the Spirit of the Light Realm, Solas, give him command over more of the Spiritual Plane. When he didn’t get what he wanted, he turned his sights on the Physical Plane. And that’s when the war started.”

Coran paused and stared at the hybrid, letting the new information soak in, “This…war, is it still-”

“Oh, no, no,” Nekko stared, waving his hands in the air and shaking his head. “No, that war ended some time ago, when I was twenty-one. We have been at peace for quite some time now.”

Coran felt something in his chest relax, happy that the Patrians did not need to worry over a war on their home world while fighting in a second for the universe itself.

“Would you mind telling me more about these ‘Relams’?”

Nekko brightened a bit, ear pricking forward as he lanced into an explanation on the Spirit Plane and the different Realms within it.

They talked for vargas if Allura had not come looking for Coran.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

One would think, with the number of questions he asked when it came to Pack-Bonds, Coran would be one of the first to recognizing a bond when he felt it. He really should have seen the inevitability of a bond forming.

Coran had felt tiny pulses of something in the back of his mind but had brushed it off as nothing. He carried out his tasks of the day, largely ignoring the new sensation and thinking it was nothing more then the beginnings of a headache.

He could not, however, ignore the sudden burst of absolute triumph that was not his own, the sensation sending him reeling slightly.

“Whoa, you alright Coran?” Hunk asked from where he was making some blue round things called ‘cookies’.

Coran waved his hand a flashed a bright smile, “Perfectly fine, just a bit of a shock there.”

“Shock?”

“Indeed, I believe Patrian bonds are compatible with Alteans as well,” Coran grinned even wider as he abandoned the lunch he had been preparing in favor of finding which creature he had felt the triumph from.

His first thought was perhaps someone had beaten a high level gladiator, but the training deck was empty of life. So he resorted to looking in random rooms until he found someone.

He felt another burst of victory as he opened the door to the Lounge area. Pidge and Nekko were sat across from each other, a board sitting between them with a few small carved pieces scattered about it. Coran recognized the game as the ‘Chess’ that Hunk and Pidge had made. Most of them didn’t play much but from where Coran was standing, the game had been introduced to the youngest hybrid and he had taken a shine to it.

“How are you beating me?” Pidge cried, waving her arms between Nekko and the board. “You just learned about this!”

Nekko shrugged, “Attribute it to the fact I was the pack strategist back on Patria.”

Pidge growled and narrowed her eyes at the chess pieces as if they were responsible for her oncoming defeat.

Coran beamed and walked in, “Having fun you two?”

Nekko looked up at Coran while Pidge continued to glare at the board, “I am going to take this game back to Patria. I know a few creatures who would love it.”

Coran chuckled at that, “Indeed. I find the chess quite enjoyable myself.”

Nekko grinned and looked back at the board just as Pidge moved one of her pieces. Coran felt a thrum of excitement in the back of his mind, stronger then it had been back in the kitchen, right before they hybrid moved one of the bishop pieces across to the other side, “That’s called check, right?”

Pidge crossed her arms with a huff, “Check-mate. I can’t go anywhere without losing my king.”

This time, the burst of triumph was accompanied by Nekko’s beaming face, wide and toothy, “Want a rematch?”

“You are going down this time!” Number five exclaimed as she rearranged the pieces furiously.

Coran chuckled before turning back towards the door, “Don’t take to long, lunch shall be ready soon.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Hunk wouldn’t deny he was curious about Pack-Bonds. He asked Lance to describe what his was like and Lance had compared it to like their bonds with the lions only not as abstract and idea based. 

He found the Patrians themselves to be an enjoyable bunch, quite at times, especially Nekko, but nice to be around. He liked hearing about the vast verity their world had in terms of life forms, about the various meals that were practically staples of life and, though he would never tell Allura, he quite liked the way they approached training.

He learned about the training when Lance had grabbed him away from his workspace and dragged him to the training deck, explaining how Pidge had joined his and the siblings training meet up and he needed his main man on his side. Hunk had been prepared for a grueling round against a team comprised of Pidge, Kit and Nekko, but was presently surprised when Kellan announced the rules of this training. 

It was simple enough, three hits and you’re out and whichever team ended up with all members out first was the one that lost. He called for a one minute planning stage before heading Hunk and Lance over to the far corner.

“Lance, I want you to keep a good distance and lay down some cover fire, keep their attention off me and Hunk.” Lance nodded in acknowledgement before Kell turned to Hunk. “Hunk, you’re the heavy hitter here, and that’s what I need you to do, hit hard. Find an opening, get in your hit then get out, got it?”

Hunk nodded, not fully understanding how this bizarre version of tag was qualified as training but accepting it. But once the ball got rolling, Hunk was laughing and crowing with Lance as he executed Kellan’s orders. But, the advantage fell to the opposing team in terms of speed and accuracy but Hunk didn’t feel to put out by that. He had managed to get Kit out of the game and landed two hits on Nekko before Pidge hit him a third time. What made him pause was the bust of utter pride exploded in his mind. He looked over at Kellan to see his face matched the thrum Hunk was feeling.

“Well done everybody,” he said, sounding so much like Shiro that Hunk nearly burst out laughing.

“We totally kicked all your butts!” Pidge cried, raising both fists in the air.

“You just got lucky!” Lance responded with just as much volume. “Next time, we are taking all of you down!”

Hunk shook his head and laughed, feeling joy bubbling up in his mind from another source.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Pidge had not fully known what to make of it. One minute she had been sitting on her computer, doing her own thing during her downtime, the next a wave of utter terror slammed into her mind.

It made her jump to her feet, almost dropping her laptop, and looked around wildly. She could still fell the raw fear in her mind, fear that was an intruder in her brain.

Pidge ran through the halls of the castle, byard at the ready, following the feeling of terror. It led her to the training deck entrance, where she nearly ran right into Hunk and Coran, “Please tell me you two felt that.”

Hunk nodded, looking pale while Coran panted out, “I believe that is was the Patrians Pack-Bond.”

“Well it’s coming from here,” Pidge slammed the panel to open the door.

Inside the training room, Nekko was doubled over on the floor, breathing so harshly that it sounded like someone had taken sandpaper to his lungs. His siblings were on his sides, Kit hugging him tightly and Kellan rubbing his back. Lance was crouched in front of the wide eyed hybrid, gently scratching at the trembling ears.

“What’s happened?” Coran stepped forward and Nekko flinched slightly.

“He had a Phantom Version,” Kellan explained. “The Gladiator must have triggered a memory from the arena.”

“Phantom versions?” Pidge frowned as she slowly ventured closer.

“It’s like PTSD,” Lance said, still petting Nekko’s ears.

Pidge felt something in he freeze slightly. She knew Shiro suffered from PTSD from his time as a prisoner and it sometimes frightened her when their leader froze up and was swallowed up by his mind. Seeing Nekko, looking like he had seen a ghost and her knowing exactly what he was feeling, felt just as gut wrenching.

Hunk shuffled his feet behind her, “Is…he okay?”

Nekko groaned and his ears drooped slightly, “Feel sick.” 

“I know little brother. But you’ll be okay, just breath for us, okay?” Kit moved one hand up to pat Nekko shoulder as she spoke soft encouragements.

Nekko huffed, tilting his head forward into Lance’s hands, “Hate this…”

“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Lance ran his hand over one of Nekko’s ears. “But you’ll be fine, just like Kit said. A quick nap and some food and you’ll be good as new.”

Pidge watched as Nekko, slowly but surely under the comforting words of Kit and Lance, relaxed, his taunt muscles loosening and the harsh breathing replaced with quite rumbling purrs. Eventually, he ended up leaning into Kellan’s chest and falling asleep.

The tension of the room hissed away when everyone was sure the episode passed. Kellan hooked his arms under Nekko’s knees and around his shoulders, lifting the taller hybrid with relative ease, “That was a bad one, he’s going to be out for awhile.”

Pidge moved closer, so she was standing next to Lance, “Is there…something we can do?”

Lance stood, dusting himself down and turning to look at her, “Actually, yeah. Think you can make some kind of speaker to play forest sounds?”

“Huh?”

“OH! Yeah, that would help,” Kit was grinning wide. “I mean, it’s not quite the same but maybe hearing something like home could help.”

It hit Pidge then. Lance had mentioned that Patria was a forested planet and that the Patrians preferred wilder environments. The gears in her brain started to turn and a smirk crossed her features, “I can do one better. Hunk, Coran, we’re making air fresheners and play-lists.”

Coran frowned as the smallest Paladin herded him and Hunk out of the training deck, “What are…air fresheners?”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

There were a few upsides to the robotic prosthetic. Adjusting to it didn’t take as long as it would on Earth, it moved like an actual arm if you ignored the metal and hand that turned into an alien weapon. But advanced technology could not make everything smoother, namely phantom pains.

Shiro could handle it on most days, when it was little more then a dull throbbing where the robotic arm connected to his bicep. But that night he had been wrenched from his sleep by a near blinding pain in his left arm.

He hissed through his teeth, face contorted in pain, and clutched at his arm where flesh met metal.

“Just breathe, just breath…”

In…1…2…

Out…1…2…

In…1…2…

“Shiro?”

The Black Paladin started, head snapping up to see the figure of Kellan in the door way.

“Are you alright?”

Shiro tensed, not because of the question but because he could feel Kell’s concern in the back of his mind. He wasn’t ungrateful for the worry but he had never liked people worrying over him, even more so after he became the Black Paladin.

“I’m fine Kellan,” he replied, forcing his voice not to waver.

The wolf, however, crossed his arms and raised a very unconvinced eyebrow, “You do know I am trained to recognize pain, right?”

Shiro ducked his head slightly, “It’s not something you can do anything about Kellan.”

“Is it phantom pain?”

Shiro’s jerked back up, eyes widening slightly in surprise, “H-how?”

“I’ve seen it in a number of creature back home who have lost limbs,” Kellan stepped closer, uncrossing his arms and holding out his hands with the palms up. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. But I can help you if you’ll let me Shiro.”

Shiro hesitated. He had never really enjoyed other people looking out for him when he could look after himself, even more so after he became the Black Paladin. He was the leader. He was supposed to look after everyone else.

But…Kellan was a leader to, as well as a healer. And Shiro didn’t want to sit through phantom pains for the entire night, not when they already had Zarkon somehow tracking them down on a near daily basis and rest had become a rarity.

“Okay,” he sighed and shifted so that he was sat on the edge of the bed.

Kellan nodded and sat next to Shiro, “Just tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”

The Black Paladin nodded.

Slowly, Kellan encircled Shiro’s bicep with his palms. Shiro watched in slight amazement as Kellan’s eyes glowed a soft gold color the glow seemed to move through his arms and into his hands. Shiro stiffened when he felt an odd tingling heat push through his arm. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation and once Shiro grew used to it he couldn’t help leaning into Kell’s touch slightly, relishing the relief the healer magic was providing.

“I thought you could only heal physical wounds.”

Kellan’s eyes flicked up slightly and one ear flattened, “If I couldn’t sooth pain then the pain of a creature having their skin and bones forcefully pulled back into one piece would have them screaming.”

“Oh…”

Kellan snorted and Shiro could feel the edges of human in his mind. “Don’t worry. I am very good at what I do. You’re not going to feel any pain at all.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Shiro replied. “From what I have heard Lance was in pretty bad shape when you found him.”

Kellan’s ear flattened, “Yes, he was very badly hurt. I fear to think what might have happened to him if Nekko hadn’t found him.”

Shiro couldn’t help a small shudder at the idea of what may have happened if the Patrians hadn’t been there when Lance crashed, “I’m still grateful for you helping him.”

“I know.”

They sat slightly for a time, Shiro watching as Kellan worked his magic. When the wolf eventually withdrew his hands, leaving the muscles in Shiro’s arm feeling more relaxed then he’d felt in quite awhile, “Thanks.”

“My pleasure Shiro,” Kellan smiled then frowned slightly. “But I must ask, does your pack know of this?”

“No, and they don’t need to.”

“Why?”

Shiro sighed, “Kell, they have enough to worry about without worrying over my issues.”

“You may be the Alpha but you are part of the pack and a pack should always seek comfort in each other.”

Shiro blinked at Kell’s straight face. He couldn’t really argue, Kellan did have a point, but the idea of letting all of his PTSD baggage be put on the rest of the Paladins was something he wouldn’t entertain, “They have enough on their shoulders.”

“Then talk to Nekko.”

“Huh?”

Kellan stood, stretching his back as he went, “You don’t want to burden others with your…what does Lance call it…PTSD? I think it’s because you don’t want your pack to image the kind of things you have had to face. But Nekko was thrown into the arena and has Phantom Versions because of it. If anyone could understand he will. And if you want further convincing then I have a firm belief that you and Nekko can help each other.”

“Nekko has…PTSD?”

Kellan nodded, “Essentially yes.” He turned to the door and opened it, “Just consider it Shiro, you aren’t required to do anything you don’t want to.”

With that note, Kellan left, leaving Shiro to digest the new information.

 

“Mind if I join you?”

Keith turned to face Kit, who was standing in the doorway of the training deck, one hand on her hip and wearing a smirk.

“Not at all,” Keith had been working on trusting the Patrians. He had yet to form a bond like everyone else in the Castle but he was alright with that. He still didn’t care for the idea of anyone being able to read his thoughts.

Kit strode towards him, clenching left hand into a loose fist and summoning her battle axe, “One on one or teamwork style?”

Keith paused at that. He had gone head to head with Kit before, he’d fought against all three siblings before. He had yet to do a team based battle with any of them, “Teamwork. If you’re going to help it would be best if we work on battling side by side.”

“I like your thinking pup.”

Keith heaved a sigh, he still didn’t understand why Kit insisted on calling him pup but he learned that there really was no stopping her.

“Begin training level five!”

Keith summoned his byard as a gladiator dropped from the ceiling, he saw Kit take up a battle stance next to him out of the corner of his eye, “Got a plan?”

“I’ll take it from the front, you take the rear.”

“Got it,” then she was off, circling around to get behind the Gladiator.

The Altean battle droid made to attack her but Keith lunged, forcing the Gladiator to block his attacks and turn its back on the hybrid. Kit attacked with a snarl, her axe clanging loudly against the Gladiators staff. Keith can’t help but smirk, feeling as though this round will be over soon. He pays for the cockiness when the droids foot shoots out and trips him before flinging Keith into Kit and sending both of them flying.

Keith feels Kitsuna’s arms snap around him before they hit the floor, absorbing most of the shock from the fall, “You alright pup?”

“I’m fine,” the Red Paladin regained his footing and retook his stance, eyes narrowing at the Gladiator as it ran towards them.

Kit scampered across the floor on all fours before standing again, “Nearly had the thing.”

Keith growled, lifting his weapon to block the Gladiators attack when it drew close. The droid attacked again and again Keith blocked. He countered with his own attack, managing to get a little distance between himself and the Gladiator. He moved forward and attacked again but his move was blocked. While Keith was byard was still locked with the Gladiators staff there was a sudden popping noise, followed by a beam of deep red striking the Gladiator square in the head before it vaporized in a burst of blue energy.

Keith blinked then turned to Kit. The Patrian was holding was looked to be some kind of rifle, similar to the one Lance byard turned into but in the same shade of red as Kit’s axe and much longer and sleeker looking. Kit was staring at the weapon in shock, jaw slightly slack. Then, slowly, the corners of her mouth turned upwards.

Then, Keith felt it. It was small, almost barely noticeable, but he could feel the mixture of absolute joy and excitement that was definitely not coming from him. 

“I actually did it!” Kit cried, holding the rifle over her head and beaming at Keith. “I have been working on this for months! I have got to show everyone else!”

Kit ran out of the training room, whooping in victory as she went.

Keith stood stock still, trying to process the traces of Kit’s excitement still lingering in his mind. He felt…weird. Not as bad as he had thought it would be. He didn’t feel like Kit was intruding in his mind, it felt more like when the team did the mental exercises with Coran’s neuro-amplifiers, except different in a way he could quite put his finger on.

Maybe…a Pack-Bond wasn’t such a bad thing to have.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Allura isn't here BUT it is because I have plans for the future.
> 
> And now, a fun fact about the siblings.  
> Nekko is the youngest but he is also the tallest (Blame Fox genes)  
> Kit is the middle child and is the shortest.  
> Kellan is oldest and about a few inches shorter the Nekko and a few inches taller then Kit.
> 
> Leave a comment on what you thought please and have an awesome day :)
> 
> P.S. I edited this at, like, ten o'clock which is late for my internal clock so I feel sure I missed some stuff. XP


End file.
